LANSING, MI -- Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette hit the campaign trail this week in pursuit of re-election, but the gay marriage debate followed him at every stop.

Welcome back to Michigan Political Points, my weekly roundup of interesting news, views and YouTubes from the state Capitol and beyond.

ON DUTY, OFF TOPIC: Schuette is touring Michigan and promoting himself as a "voice for victims," but a quick glance at statewide headlines suggests his message is getting lost in the noise of his ongoing defense of the state's same-sex marriage ban, which will continue with appeal.

The timing is unusual, but it's not clear whether Schuette sees that as a political liability or a plus. In a campaign email sent to supporters on Tuesday, the Republican reiterated his duty to defend the state constitution but never once used the words "gay" or "same-sex."

Later that evening, Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema attended Schuette's campaign kick-off event in Grand Rapids. You'll recall Schuette asked Agema resign two months ago in the wake of controversial anti-gay comments, but the two were photographed shaking hands at the event.

SNYDER '16: Gov. Rick Snyder was dogged by gay marriage questions all week as well, but conservative pundits continue to float his name as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, provided he wins re-election in a competitive race against Democrat and former Congressman Mark Schauer.

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin on Monday highlighted four midwest governors who might have a shot at the GOP nomination, including Snyder, whose "pronounced Michigan accent and easy-going personality provide a nice contrast to D.C. pols who sound pretty much alike."

However, Rubin noted that Snyder hasn't had much national exposure and has no foreign policy experience or national fundraising network. "He comes across as a practical business person, which can cut both ways. Is he too much like Mitt Romney or the right blend of pragmatism and conservatism?"

FURNITURE FUROR: The Michigan Democratic Party this week accused the Snyder administration of playing favorites back in 2011 when officials helped remove a budget constraint that would have hurt a furniture business owned by the governor's cousin, who has had contracts with the state for decades.

Snyder's office said Dems had been shopping the story to the national media for months but nobody bit because it is "a completely manufactured issue that is baseless and has zero merit."

So will U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles Jr. investigate, as requested by the Democrats? Who knows. "We don't comment on ongoing investigations, including whether or not we have one," a spokesperson told me Thursday.

SPRING BREAK: The Michigan Senate adjourned Thursday without concurring on House changes to legislation that could expand the Educational Achievement Authority, a state-run district that previously took over 15 struggling schools in Detroit.

House Speaker Jase Bolger and state Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons both made late-day appearances on the Senate floor in an apparent attempt to win EAA votes, but their push was not enough.

The Senate won't reconvene until April 22, as lawmakers spend the next two and a half weeks on an in-district legislative spring break. Even when they return, the future of the EAA bill remains very much up in the air.

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter.